PhD Defence: Sabrina Krogh Schmidt

Sabrina Krogh Schmidt will defend her PhD degree in Person-centred Health Care. The dissertation is about wether integrated physical activity in teaching can promote health, learning and well-being in school..


02 Feb

Practical information

  • Date: 2 February 2023
  • Time: 10.00 - 15.30
  • Location: Bø, Auditorium 5-115 and on zoom
  • Download calendar file
  • Link to digital participation 

    Program

    Kl. 10.00 Trial lecture:

    • Mixed methods-design: Describe this type of design, and strengths and limitations of its theory of science, methodology and in practice.
    • Use your PhD project to exemplify how qualitative and quantitative data collection can be integrated in a mixed method study.

    Kl. 12.00 PhD defence: Classroom-based physical activity as a means to promote health, well-being and learning in school. A study on health changes and students’ and teachers’ perspectives in secondary school.

    Evaluation committee

    • First opponent: Professor Sindre M. Dyrstad, University of Stavanger
    • Second opponent: Associated professor Charlotte Skau Pawlowski, University of Southern Denmark
    • Administrator: Associated professor Hans A. Hauge, Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge

    Supervisors

    • Principal supervisor: Professor Solfrid Bratland-Sanda, University of  South-Eastern Norway
    • Co-supervisor: Professor Rob Bongaardt, University of  South-Eastern Norway
Any questions?

Sabrina Krogh SchmidtSabrina Krogh Schmidt is defending her dissertation  for the degree philosophiae doctor (PhD) at the University of South-Eastern Norway.

The doctoral work has been carried out at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences.

Title of the dissertation: Classroom-based physical activity as a means to promote health, well-being and learning in school. A study on health changes and students’ and teachers’ perspectives in secondary school.

Welcome to follow the trial lecture and the public defence.

Summary

This thesis found that classroom-based physical activity can benefit secondary students’ health and well-being mostly by counteracting an expected reduction. The term classroom-based physical activity covers movement integrated into lessons through either physically active breaks or physically active learning.

Especially female students seemed to benefit from more physical activity in lessons by reporting more stable levels of psychosocial health and well-being. While students in general support and welcome classroom-based physical activity, some found the competitive focus demanding.

Teachers report many positive aspects, however, seem to struggle to implement and apply the approach of physically active learning in a regular and meaningful way that supports the implementation of more physical activity and academic learning objectives.

Schools have been identified as a key setting for promoting more physical activity to promote health. One strategy is to integrate movement into lessons, e.g., classroom-based physical activity. This approach has mostly been implemented and researched in primary school. This thesis explores classroom-based physical activity’s influence on students’ health and well-being in secondary school through two phases: 1) changes in students through a quasi-experimental pre/post control group design, 2) descriptive phenomenological approach exploring students’ and teachers lived experiences.

Participating schools, students and teachers were part of “The Active and Healthy Kids program” developed and implemented by the Department of Health of Vestfold and Telemark County Council as a means to improve health in the county.

PhD candidate Sabrina Krogh Schmidt has her educational background from the military and university degrees covering sports, health and outdoor life.